Re: Newbie question/mark

[Guest guest]

hi mark,

#1 leg swelling: boy do I! i have pretty bad edema in the lower

extremeties. if i press on my shin bone with one finger for about 5

seconds, when i take my finger away there is a " hole " or dent left

almost big enough to put a grape in. and it takes about 5 minutes

for it to go away. i had blood clot in my left leg about 6 years

ago, and ever since then that ankle and foot are visibly more swollen

than the right one. so i have to try on shoes using my left foot

because it is biggest.

my inner thighs also rub together and i tend to walk on the outer

edges of my feet because of it. when i stand, my knees can't touch

at the insides. i wear my pants and shorts out in the inner thigh

area before the rest of the fabric gives out. don't even ask me to

wear panty hose. that gives a waffle effect when the fat squishes

out between the weave of the nylon, then that rubs together and makes

the skin raw when i walk.

i pray to god that all that goes away with the weight lost. i know

that fatty tissue does tend to hold fluid. so when the fatty tissue

shrinks, it's ability to hold fluid will decrease.

#2 extra fat bulge under panni: that is common for another bulge

of fat to form over the pubic bone. some get so large they hang down

like the panni. it should go away, i think, because it doesn't

stretch the skin as extremely as in the belly.

#3 i am still pre-op, but have had 3 c sections, knee surgery,

sinus surgery, tonsils out. i don't have any problems with the

anesthetics they use. i know what it feels like to have my belly cut

open with a large incision. i don't expect this ds surgery to be any

more painful than my other surgeries. and those other ones i

tolerated very well. not a whole lot of postop pain. very

manageable. i developed mild infections in my incision from the c

sections each time, but taking it easy and a round of anti-biotics

cleared it up ok. incisions healed well.

i understand your fear. i feel it too. but, courage to take control

of the rest of my life is winning out over fear. if i don't go thru

with this surgery, i know for a fact that i will not live a very long

life. i have too many co-morbidities that have life threatening

complications. knowing the risks of having and not having this

surgery makes the decision kinda easy for me. i want to live, really

live.

as far as being laughed at, that can happen at any weight. but fat

folks are an easy target for small-minded jerks. we are a group that

it's considered OK to harass. that is slowly changing as america is

consistently getting more and more obese. you are worthy of dignity

and respect at any weight, shape, or size. don't let the jerks get

you down. sometimes, all it takes is looking a would-be harasser

straight in the eyes and holding their stare. they look away first

because they realize they are looking into intelligent eyes. they

would be no match in a battle of wits because they are unarmed!

so take courage, keep researching and pursuing this attainable goal.

you will be so glad you did!

mary y. st. louis almost 43 yrs old

350 lbs. bmi 59

5'5 "

dr. booth and company

mid june surgery

> I am new to this group and I am considering having the surgery

done. I have a

> few questions and hope you can answer them for me.

>